Following the Dec. 8 deadline to file for a place on the 2026 primary ballots, 26 candidates filed to run across seven races in Harris County ahead of the March primary elections.

The big picture: Six races are being contested by Democratic and Republican candidates across the March primary elections. During the primary, voters will select the Democratic and Republican party nominees who will then appear on the November 2026 general election alongside any independent or other party candidates. The last day for candidates to file to run in the primary elections was Dec. 8, per the Texas Secretary of State's website.

What else? The deadline to register to vote in the 2026 primary elections is Feb. 2, with early voting starting Feb. 17 and election day March 3. 

Harris County Precinct 4 has added 4 miles of new sidewalks along Greenhouse Road connecting Cy-Fair ISD and Katy ISD, Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones announced in a Dec. 9 press conference.

In a nutshell: The connection comes from the Sidewalks 4 Precinct 4 initiative, which is expected to result in approximately 75 miles of new sidewalks for unincorporated Harris County. Briones said Precinct 4 has committed an additional $16 million in fiscal year 2025-26 to the project, which started as a $20 million initiative in 2024.

Stretching from Kieth Harrow Boulevard to Morton Road, the new sidewalks along Greenhouse Road connect nine schools, 11 religious organizations, three health centers and dozens of businesses, Briones said. 

Quote of note: “A parent should never have to worry about the safety of their children going to school, and students should never have to fear while hugging the curb on the side of the road while walking in muddy grass,” Sirron Norris, a student at Cypress Lakes High School, said at the news conference.

When Harris County commissioners meet Dec. 11, they’ll review several agenda items on the docket, including updates on the county jail and discussions on renewing full property tax exemptions for child care providers and tackling countywide food insecurity.

The context: Items for discussion at the upcoming December court meeting include the reauthorization of full property tax exemptions for eligible child care providers in the county. In 2024, an estimated 327 Harris County child care providers qualified for 100% property tax exemption after Harris County commissioners authorized the exemptions at a March 26, 2024, court meeting.

Also on the agenda: Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones is requesting that Harris County Public Health develop a countywide strategy to address food insecurity, according to her agenda item pending approval. The overall food insecurity rate for Harris County is 18.2% as of 2023, according to Feeding America’s 2025 “Map the Meal Gap” report published May 14. That percentile has risen since 2019, when it was 13.9%—or 644,710 people—according to the 2023 report.

Texas voters will see 18 statewide races on the ballot in 2026.

The overview: Texas will hold Republican and Democratic primary elections on March 3 to determine who will appear on the statewide ballot in November. Texas is one of 17 states with open primaries, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, meaning registered voters can cast their ballots in either primary and do not need to register with a specific party.

What to know: The 18 statewide races on the 2026 primary ballots are:

• U.S. Senate
• Governor
• Lieutenant governor
• Attorney general
• Comptroller of public accounts
• General land commissioner
• Agriculture commissioner
• Railroad commissioner
• Texas Supreme Court, chief justice
• Texas Supreme Court justice, Place 2
• Texas Supreme Court justice, Place 7
• Texas Supreme Court justice, Place 8
• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals judge, Place 3
• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals judge, Place 4
• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals judge, Place 9
• 15th Court of Appeals, chief justice
• 15th Court of Appeals justice, Place 2
• 15th Court of Appeals justice, Place 3